


Don't leave me

by SweetbunThorn



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, M/M, Temporary Character Death, The reaper said suffer, blinded by pocket sand, the others are there but in the background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-09 17:09:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19480339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetbunThorn/pseuds/SweetbunThorn
Summary: “Yusuke!” Ryuji’s voice cracks. “C’mon, man! Don’t you leave me!” A sob. “P-Please, talk to me. Say somethin’...”





	Don't leave me

**Author's Note:**

> this was supposed to be another "Ryuji with Nyctophobia" fic  
> but brain said nah

Most shadows disappear in a mass of what Ryuji would call, black goo, but this one died in a mass of what the blond would call a cloud of shitty black sand. He killed the shadow, up close with his spiked bat, and then it explodes into sand. _Right into his eyes._

“What the hell was that!?” Ryuji threw off his mask and rubbed frantically at his eyes. “Shit.”

“Skull, wait, you’re making it worse.” Queen’s hands were on his face, rubbing away the remainder of the sand. “Open your eyes.”

He tried, but the stinging from whatever the shadow did burned, he could hardly even open them a few centimeters. 

“I can’t.” He went to rub again, only to have his hands pulled down. “Can’t you heal it or some shit?”

There were a few moments of silence after that, Ryuji assumed they used one of the Dia spells.

“I don’t think this can be healed off...” Panther spoke.

“Damnit...” Ryuji felt his ascot coming untied and being placed over his eyes. “Wha?”

“For now, don’t open them and try to rest.” A beat of silence. ”Joker, we should head back-”

“What? No.” Ryuji interrupted and messed with the blindfold. “Don’t stop just cause some shit happened to me. We got all those requests to do.”

“But...” Akira trailed off. “I’m not going to leave you by yourself and we can’t take you with us into the fights.”

“I can-”

Fox spoke up. “I volunteer to stay with him. Noir can take my place.”

“... Alright. I still think we should leave, but.. If Skull wants us to keep going, I can’t say no to that.”

Fox helped him into the van and Ryuji grunted as he laid down, using the artist’s legs as a pillow. Fingers wove their way into his hair and the blond softly smiled at the affection.

“Should I call you ‘Nurse Fox’ now?”

“Only if you’re a good patient.”

Ryuji snickered and leaned into Yusuke’s hand, nearly falling asleep until the van jerked to a stop. The others got out and left through the portal, leaving Ryuji with Yusuke. The blond sat down, tapping his fingers against the rails until they moved over to play with Fox’s tail. He could hear the scratching of the pencil against the artist’s sketchbook.

“Whatcha drawin’?”

“You.”

“You always draw me.”

“Because you’re too handsome not to capture on paper.”

Ryuji blushed and shoved the taller slightly, causing him to chuckle. “Stop tryin’ to flatter me.”

“I’m not trying, I’m succeeding.”

“C’mon man!”

They continued the idle chit-chat, until the others returned, and picked up where they left off when the others went to fight. Ryuji fell asleep, head on Yusuke’s legs as the teen continued drawing. That’s when he heard it, the sound of chains jingling that tore him from his sleep and put his body on high alert.

“Fox-”

“I heard.

The chains were coming closer, getting louder despite the echo of Mementos. Yusuke got up and gently pulled Ryuji behind him and unsheathed his sword. An awful smell came rushing towards and the blond almost gagged. It smelt like a mix of something rotting, eggs, gunpowder and rust. Yusuke tensed up and pushed Ryuji further back, the blond was getting the feeling that he really didn’t want to know what this thing looked like or was.

“Goe-”

A gunshot rang out and Ryuji felt the bullet screech past his ear and hit the wall. Fox grunted slightly in pain before attempting to resummon his persona.

“Goemon!”

The air became cold as the outlaw was summoned and slammed into the shadow. Ryuji wished he could help as another gunshot rings out, followed by the smell of fire, and suddenly Yusuke was torn away from him. He hears him cry out in pain as his body hits the wall and the sound of him sliding down to the ground.

“Fox?”

No response.

“Fox?!”

A cold sense of dread filled Ryuji’s stomach as he received no response again. If only he could see...

“Fo-” He paused as he felt the muzzles of the shadow’s guns press into his forehead.

Time seemed to slow down and Ryuji’s breath hitched. Yusuke slammed into him as the guns fired repeatedly. They both hit the ground with Ryuji taking the brunt of their weight. He hears the shadow inch closer to them, but the teen’s too focused on the sudden wet feeling on Fox’s back.

“F-Fox?”

“S...Skull...” Yusuke raspes out. “Run.”

“I ain’t leavin’ you!” Ryuji pulls him closer to him just as the sound of footsteps is heard.

“Fox, Skull, we’re- What is that!?”

“It’s the reaper!”

Joker and the others grab Reaper’s attention, but Ryuji’s no longer paying attention. Yusuke goes still in his arms and he feels the world come crashing to a halt.

“There! It’s gone! Skull, are you... oh no...”

“Fox?”

Nothing.

“F-Fox, C’mon.”

Echoing silence.

“Yusuke!” Ryuji’s voice cracks. “C’mon, man! Don’t you leave me!” A sob. “P-Please, talk to me. Say somethin’...”

Still nothing. Skull lets loose a loud sob as he clutches Yusuke close to his chest, repeating his name over and over again in hopes that he’ll respond. There’s a hand on his shoulder and Ryuji’s got half a mind to throw it off of him.

“Skull-”

“I’m not lettin’ go of him!”

Something presses against Yusuke’s body before it jolts, and the teen takes in a deep and stinging breath.

“S-Skull?” There’s that deep voice Ryuji feared he’d never hear again.

“Yusuke.” The blond buries his face in Yusuke’s high collar and cries.

The taller wraps his arms around and rocks them back and forth. They travel back to the entrance after that, Ryuji never let go of Yusuke, even as they left Mementos. The blond blinked rapidly as sight returned to him.

“Seemed it only lasted in the metaverse.” Makoto said before turning her attention to Yusuke. “Are you...” she trailed off.

“I’m fine.” He gives her a soft smile. “Nothing a little rest won’t fix.”

She stared at him before rushing over to crush him in a hug. The others quickly joined in the hug, muttering out their ‘We’re sorry we took so long’ over and over again. They separate after a few minutes and each of them depart towards the trains. Ryuji clings to Yusuke’s arm and they silently walk back to the Kosei dorms. Once inside, the blond turned to face him.

“Hmm?”

“C-Can I stay?”

Yusuke placed his hand on Ryuji’s cheek. “You can stay as long as you wish.”

The blond leaned forward, softly knocking his forehead into the artist’s chest. “... You... you died...”

“...”

“And... And I thought I wouldn't get to see you again-”

“Ryuji-”

“And I couldn’t do a damn thing to effin’ help you...” A hiccup. “I was useless...”

“I made my choice in protecting you-”

“And you got killed for it! I don’t-” A sob. “I can’t handle you dyin’... especially in my arms, when I could’ve prevented it.”

Yusuke went silent, choosing to bring Ryuji close to him and settled on the floor. The only sounds in the dorm were the blond hushed cries and Yusuke’s soft humming.


End file.
